Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray suffered a scary knee injury near the end of their 116-107 defeat to the Golden State Warriors on Monday. While Nikola Jokic has been putting up an MVP caliber season, this stat suggests he has a much more positive impact with Murray on the floor.
According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, the Nuggets are extremely efficient with both Murray and Jokic on the floor at the same time. On the flip side, if Murray isn't on the court with Jokic, Denver's net efficiency becomes negative.
This season, the Nuggets have a +11.5 net efficiency when Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray are on the court together. When Jokic is on the court without Murray, that drops to -2.1 per @ESPNStatsInfo
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 13, 2021
As Denver fans await for Murray's official diagnosis, this certainly isn't a stat they want to see. It only makes the wait more nerve-wracking for Nuggets Nation.
As mentioned, Jokic has been playing out of his mind and has been in the thick of the MVP conversation this season. However, it's highly unlikely the Nuggets can reach its goal of winning a championship without him. The aforementioned stat suggests that The Joker thrives most with the Blue Arrow on the floor. Furthermore, Murray played like an absolute superstar in their Western Conference Finals run in the 2020 playoffs and they will definitely need him if they want any chance of contending.
Murray suffered the injury in the final minute as he drove down the lane for a layup. The Canadian was hurt in a non-contact play and immediately grabbed his knee and screamed as soon he crashed to the floor. The Nuggets' medical staff brought out a wheelchair to bring Murray to the back, but the tough 6-foot-4 guard opted to walk with assistance from some staff.
Follow Us
Subscribe